Lamp socket



n'. E. BowN. LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l5..,1918.

Patented June 27, 1922.

FIL-1.1.

STATES PATENT iOFFICE.

DAVID E. BOWN,'OF`CRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAMP SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June' 27,11922 Application filed November 5, 1918.r Serial No. 261,265.

To alt fw 7mm t may concern Be it known that l, DAVID E. BowN, a resident of Grafton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in- Y vented a new and useful Improvement in Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sockets candescent electric lamps.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of lamp sockets, by simplifying the structure, by reducing the number of insulating parts, by simplifying the method of assembly, and to change the means 'of connecting and holding the parts together. A further object is to make the parts interchangeable, and to provide a key for inmechanism allowing the key to be placedI in any desired position or adjustment. The radical changes from prior construction and the advantages thereof will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art upon consideration of the following specification.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the socket in rassembled position; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view with the screw shell and outer shell of the socket. removed; and Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section of a modification.

My construction comprises a cap 1, and outer shell 2, adapted to fit togetherto form a standard incandescent lamp-socket. These parts are made of ordinary sheet metal, mica, porcelain, or composition.

The cap has an upward extension 3 through which the conducting wires extend.

yThe cap isforrned with` a bead 4 about its middle portion. This bead forms an annular groove 5` on the inside of the cap. The lower side 6 of this bead is bent inward at right angles'to a cylindrical portion 7 ofthe cap lying below the bead. The lower side 6 eX- Y tends inward slightly farther than the upper side of the bead and forms a straight edged shoulder 8. The lower portion of thecap constituting the bead 4 and cylindrical'portion v7 is cut into strips, as shownrin Fig. 2, for the purpose of kpermitting ready expansion. f

The outer shell 2 is formed with anupper I enlarged cylindrical portion adapted to fitsnugly over the slotted skirt portion 7 ofthe cap, and with a lower and smaller cylindrical portion adapted to surround the threaded lamp-holding screw shell l9 and an insulating sleeve 10 which covers and protects the outside of the said screw shell.

The

upper enlarged, cylindrical portion of the A outer shell 2 has a longitudinal slot eXtending from the top to near4 the klower end of the en aged portion. `This permits the outer shell to be slipped over the lower skirt portiony of cap 1, the slot passing around the circular shank 11, of switch key 12. i

An insulating body or base member 13 is adapted to form a support for the interior lamp-holding and switch mechanism. This part may be of porcelain, but it is preferred to use a suitable insulating composition in which metal parts may be molded. YIt comprises a central bore 14, through which conducting wires are led to be attached to terminal binding screws 15 and 16. This in- ,y

from the bottom ofthe member 13, forming y.

a rectangular loop in which is rotatably mounted in insulating bushings 33 and 34 the shaft 19 of switch key 12. A Contact spring 2() is fastened under the binding post 15 and its free end is positioned so as to be engaged by a rotatable make-and-break conducting contact member 21, mounted onY the end of the shaft 19,` and adapted in vertical position to connect spring 20 to the upper end 22 of the screw shell 9, as shown in Fig. 1, and in the horizontal position to break the `Connection between these two parts, in the usual` manner. The'binding post 16 is attached to an extension 23 of the met-al strip 18... In the lower horizontal side of the member 18 is a threaded hole adapted toy receivev a screw 24, the head of which forms the central terminal Contact of the lamp socket. A supplemental washer 25 around the end of the screw 24,' may be used if desired. An insulating disc 26 is clamped by the screw 21 between the washer 25 and the member 18.

Between the `upper and lower cylindrical portions of the outer shell 2, there isan annular inwardly extending portion 31. Thel i of the insulating member 26, as shown in` Fig. 1. Below the end wall 22 is a cylindrianism are then mounted onthis base, which is then forced into the cap 1. rEhe slotted skirt ot this cap will readily expand to allow the large head or' the insulating base to pass above the shoulder S and will then spring back into place, securely holding the base (and the make-and-break mechanism attached thereto) inthe cap. Then the insulating sleeve 10 is slipped over the screw shell 9, which is slipped over the insulating disc 2G, and these parts are inserted in the outer shell from the lower end thereot, and the shell is telescoped on the skirt ot the cap l, thus securely locking the member 18 against removal trom the cap. The washer 25 and screw 24 are then put in, and the one screw 2t clau'ips the cap and shell. together, the upper end ot the outer shell abutting against the lower side 6 ot the bead A on the cap, and the shoulder 2S ot the screw shell being clamped against the annular internal rib 31 oi the cap with the insulating sleeve 10 clamped therebetween.

lllitlrthis construction it is not necessary to use the ordinary liber or paper lining in the cap and shell. Also there is a distinct advantage in the method ot assembly with this construction, wherein the moving parts are carried by an insulating base which is mounted in the cap, and wherein the cap and base areI secured together by a single screw, itself constituting the central terminal socket member.

In Fig. 3 a modification is shown. The insulation body member 13a extends through the top of the cap 1a. A spring-ring 32 is seated inside the bead lla. When the head ot member 13a is pushed up into the cap, the ring 32 expands into the interior of bead la allowing the shoulder or the body member 13a to pass above the ring.` The latter member then springs together again, locking the base 13a in position in the cap, as shown.

1 claim:

v1. A lamp socket comprising a cap and a cooperating outer shell adapted to telescope therewith and having a restricted .internal shoulder therein, an insulating member hel-d in the cap, a second insulating` member carrying a screw shell, saidv screw shell being flared outwardly to form an external shoulder adapted to abut the inside ot the internal shoulder of the outer shell, an insulating member positioned to separate the screw shell trom the outer shell, a trame member carried by the first mentioned insulating member, and means to clamp the second insulating member to said frame, whereby to hold the cap and shell and associated parts in assembled position.

2. An incandescent lamp socket comprising a cap and outer shell, the cap having an annular shoulder on the inside thereof, an insulating' base adapted to be retained in the cap by a shoulder seating on the interior shoulder of the said cap, and a metal conducting member attached to the base and carrying a make-and-break switch mechamsm.

3. A lamp socket comprising a metal cap, the cap having an annular bead forming an interior shoulder, the portion ot the cap below said shoulder being slit to permitexpansion, an insulating base having an enlarged head adapted to be forced into the slitted portion ot the cap and to seat above the annular shoulder in the cap, a metal `trame member carried by the insulating base and an insulating disc carrying a threaded metal screw shell attached to the lower part et the metal iframe member.

4. A lamp socket comprising a metal cap, the caphaving an annular bead forming an interior shoulder, the portion ot the cap below said shoulder being slit to permit eX- pansion, an insulating base having an enlarged head adapted to be torcedinto the slitted portion of the cap and to seat above the annular shoulder in the cap, a metal trame member carried by the insulating base having attached thereto a make-and-break switch, and an insulating disc. carrying a threaded metal screw shell attached to the lower part of the metal frame member.

5. A `lamp socket comprising a cap and outer shell, the cap having an interior bead, a shouldered insulating base and adapted to be inserted in the cap to form a resilient p engagement between said bead and shoulder,

a metal trame member carried by the base, a make-and-break mechanism, carried by the Y.Frame member, an insulating disc carrying a threaded metal screw shell, and a screw adapted to attach the insulating disc to the irame member and to torm the central terminal contact member inside the lamp socket.

. 6. A lamp socket comprising a metal cap, the cap having an annular bead forming an interior shoulder, the portion of the cap below said shoulder being slit to permit eX- pansion, and an insulating base having an enlarged head adapted to be forced into the slitted portion ot the cap and to seat above the annular shoulder in the cap.

. 7. A lamp socket comprising a cap, an outer shellftelescoping on a portion ot the cap and having an internal shoulder'7 an in sulating base member engaged by the cap, a metal conducting member attached to the base member and carrying a make-and-break switch mechanism, a screw shell having an external shoulder adapted to abut the shoulder inside the outer shell, an insulating member seated on a shoulder inside the open end of the screw shell, and a screw connecting said latter insulating member to said metal conducting member thereby holding the cap and shell in assembled position.

8. A lamp socket comprising a cap and shell, the cap having an annular interior shoulder adapted to retain an insulating base inserted in the cap, said base carrying binding posts and a make-and-break switch mechanism, and an insulating disc carrying a threaded metal screw shell and surrounding insulating sleeve, said insulating disc being attached to the metal frame by a central terminal co-ntact screw having its head inthe screw shell.

9. A lamp socket comprising a cap, an insulating base retained therein, an outer shell having an interior shoulder, a threaded metal screw shell and surrounding insulating sleeve retained in the outer shell and having offset portions abutting the shoulder of the outer shell, an insulating disc in the screw shell, and a central screw adapted to clamp the disc to the base whereby to hold the cap and outer shell together and the screw shell clamped to the outer shell.

10. A lamp socket comprising a cap having an insulating body member locked therein, an outer shell interfitting with the cap, said outer shell having an annular interior bead, a lamp-holding screw shell positioned below said bead, an insulating, disc in the screw shell, and a screw extending through the disc into the body member whereby to clamp the cap and shell together and to clamp the screw shell in position inside the outer shell.

11. A lamp socket comprising a metal cap, the cap having an annular bead forming an interior shoulder, the portion of the cap below said shoulder being slit to permit expansion, an insulating base having an enlarged head adapted to be forced into the slitted portion of the cap and to sea-t above the end of the shoulder in the cap, and a metal shell member adapted to telescope over the slitted portion of the cap to lock the insulating portion therein.

12. A lamp socket comprising a cap having an annular bead therein, the portion of the cap beneath said bead being slit to permit expansion, an insulating base member having an annular bead at its top adapted to be forced into the slitted portion of the cap and to seat above the annular bead inside the cap, a metal frame member attached to the lower side of said insulating member, a metal shell member adapted to telescope over the slitted portion of the cap, said metal shell member having an annular interior shoulder, a second insulating member carrying a screw shell, said screw shell having an external shoulder adapted to seat beneath the annular shoulder in the shell, an insulating member positioned between the outer shell and screw shell and means to clamp the second insulating member to the metal frame member attached to the iirst insulating member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID E. BOWN. 

